Our Bedlam and Bliss: Happy birthday, Owen!

You are one year old today, Baby Boy! Happy birthday! It is so hard to believe. Time really has flown by with you! You are getting so big... about 23 pounds or so. You were always a big boy, even in my belly! Maybe that's why you decided to surprise us 5 weeks earlier than you were due to arrive! :) We already knew you were a boy, and that moment we found out... I was SO happy and so surprised! I remember I just looked at Daddy, both of us crying, and I said "Adam! We're having a boy"! I must have asked the ultrasound technician three different times if she was positive... I thought for sure Daddy was going to be stuck with all girls! :) I asked them to double-check at every ultrasound thereafter, and still don't think I really believed it until you came out of my belly and I got to see you and hold you. Our sweet baby boy, Owen Emilio. Oh, how we had prayed for you! We were so lucky.

You were big for 35 weeks, bigger than your sister was at 38 weeks. You had some minor breathing issues that they wanted to keep an eye on, so you spent your first week in the NICU. You were already so sweet and easy-going, and you just kept getting sweeter after we took you home. Your big sister had a bit of a tough adjustment when you came home, as she just didn't know what to make of you. She loved and adored you from the moment she saw you, probably even before that... she was just having some trouble not being the only baby in the house anymore. It took her some time to get used to the idea, but once she did... oh my, does she love you. And oh boy, do you love her! I think she is your favorite person in the world! I just love hearing you laugh at her! You have this big belly laugh anytime she does anything that you think is funny... you give yourself hiccups (Olivia does that, too!). It is just so funny. You also go crazy when Daddy gets home from work, kicking your legs and waving your arms, saying "Da da da da." Your first babble was "Na na na," I'm guessing because you hear me say "No" alot to your sister. :) Then came "da da," "ma ma," "ga ga," and "ba ba." You just started crawling up off of your belly and learned how to put your basketball in the hoop and clap. You are so proud of yourself! :)

You love Mickey Mouse, and go crazy when he comes on the tv! You love music, peek-a-boo, (especially with Olivia!) patty-cake, playing with your toys- especially your steering wheel, (just like Daddy did when he was little!) your Alphabet train, basketball hoop, your little Mickey Mouse books, your blocks, and pretty much anything you can bang together or bang on to make some noise. :)

Owen, you are the HAPPIEST baby I have ever seen. You have been SUCH a good, sweet, easy-going little boy, who will just go with the flow, though I have to say that I'm starting to see some real silliness and fire in you, just like your big sister. :) You were a good sleeper pretty early on, and your special nite-nite song is "You Are My Sunshine," just like it was your sister's. We are starting to see some of your personality really come out, and you aren't letting Olivia push you around as much anymore. :) There are no words to tell you just how much we love you. God couldn't have made a more perfect little boy for this family. Oh, how we have enjoyed watching you learn and grow this first year. Our hearts and our world are so incredibly full with you in them. We love you more than anything in the whole, wide world, baby boy!

Love,
Mommy and Daddy